Craig Wallace Dale

Cool Tunes

Why buy just any old cooler when you can choose a musical one? The Rolling Cooler/Audio System from Igloo ($149.95) is well insulated, holds as many as 58 12-ounce cans, and even plays tunes from your MP3 player. Don’t own an iPod? Not to worry, this cooler also comes with a built-in AM/FM radio. And because it has wheels and an elastic carrying cord, it’s a breeze to take to shore. A portable cooler that doubles as a stereo system? Cool indeed. The Rolling Cooler/Audio system is available through Hammacher Schlemmer ((800) 321-1484).

Go-to Grill

It’s true that good things come in small packages. Case in point, the Cobb portable grill. It weighs only 8.5 pounds but can still turn out hearty meals for as many as six people. Better yet, it only needs eight to ten charcoal briquettes for three hours of grilling. The Cobb is sleek and compact and comes with a lifting handle and carry bag, so it really is portable. It’s also made from stainless steel, so this grill will not readily rust, no matter how wet it gets. The Cobb grill costs $140 and is available at West Marine stores nationwide.

Cobb
(800) 593-8244

Mix Master

Sure, it’s nice to picnic with a good bottle of wine. But why not mix things up and make frozen drinks with Coleman’s Marine Rechargeable Portable Blender ($104.49)? This powerful machine makes a pitcher of margaritas in 30 seconds flat. And it blends up to 30 pitchers on just one charge, so you can make your drinks on the beach just as easily as you can onboard. Think of the possibilities—margaritas and daiquiris for you, smoothies for the little ones. Your picnics will never be the same.

Coleman
(800) 835-3278

Baskets ‘n Blankets

Brookstone’s Metro Basket is a true boater’s picnic basket. It’s collapsible, so it’s a cinch to pack, and it’s relatively light and easy to carry. Best of all, it’s waterproof. Similarly, you won’t have to contend with a soggy picnic blanket with the Neat Sheet Ground Cover. It’s made from a plastic that repels water, and while I don’t recommend dunking it in the ocean, it does cost less than 20 bucks a pop. So, if you have to, it’s easy and inexpensive to replace.

Brookstone
(800) 846-3000

Kimberly-Clark
(800) 457-9659

This article originally appeared in the October 2007 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.